Between 2018-2020, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences convened a bipartisan commission to engage with communities across the U.S. to explore how best to respond to the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in our political and civic life. The commission was co-chaired by Danielle Allen (Harvard University), Stephen Heintz (Rockefeller Brothers Fund) and Eric Liu (Citizen University), and includes an esteemed group of luminaries, including Judy Woodruff (PBS NewsHour), David Brooks (The New York Times),  Diane Wood (United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit), and Norman Ornstein (American Enterprise Institute), to name a few.

The Commission’s two-year effort culminated in 2020 with the release of Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21^st Century, a report that presents 31 recommendations to make American democracy more resilient. Now, the Academy is partnering with a number of grassroots organizations to advance these reforms, and has set an ambitious goal of implementing all 31 recommendations by 2026, the 250^th anniversary of the nation’s founding.

Each month, my team at the Academy produces a monthly newsletter which highlights key developments in the implementation of these 31 recommendations. Below are highlights from August.

1. Ranked-Choice Voting is having a moment following Alaska’s special election

On August 16, Alaska held a special election to fill the state’s lone seat in the U.S. house of representatives. The election was historic on two fronts: It was the first time Alaska used ranked-choice voting (RCV) in an election, and the winner, Democrat Mary Peltola, is the first woman and Alaska Native elected to represent the state in the House, and the first Democrat to hold the seat in a half-century.

The surprise results renewed a national conversation about ranked-choice voting, drawing criticism from some conservative officials, and praise from RCV advocates. Sarah Palin, who lost the race to Peltola, called the new voting process “weird”, and Tom Cotton, Senator of Arkansas, criticized RCV as a “scam to rig elections” against Republicans.

The second recommendation of the Our Common Purpose report calls for introducing ranked-choice voting in presidential, congressional, and state elections. Below is a brief overview of what ranked-choice voting is, what it’s intended to do, and where it’s being used.

What is Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV)?

In the United States, the winner-take-all model used in most state and congressional elections, as well as presidential elections, presents serious shortcomings. When votes are distributed among three or more candidates, the winner of the election may be a candidate who is disliked by most voters. In those cases, a vocal minority can impose its will over a more moderate majority, candidates are incentivized to appeal to political fringes, and third-party candidates face pressure not to run lest they split the vote.

With ranked-choice voting, instead of choosing only one candidate, voters choose their preferred candidate and then rank their second choice, their third choice, and so on. After votes are tallied, the least popular candidate is removed, and that candidate’s supporters’ votes are allocated to their second choices. The process continues until a single candidate receives a majority of support.

There is a broad consensus among political scholars that ranked-choice voting, particularly when combined with a switch to multi-member congressional districts and open primaries, is an effective remedy against political extremism and hyperpartisanship. With ranked-choice voting, candidates are incentivized to appeal to a broader swath of the electorate, which in turn has a moderating effect on political campaigns.

Where is RCV being used?

Ranked-choice voting can be adopted state-by-state, and city-by-city, without a constitutional amendment or even federal legislation. In 2004, San Francisco become the first city in the country to adopt RCV for municipal elections. As of July 2022, 55 cities, counties, and states are projected to use RCV for all voters in their next election. These jurisdictions are home to over 11 million voters, and include 2 states (Maine and Alaska), 1 county, and 52 cities. Following the recent special election in Alaska, 85% of Alaskans reported RCV to be “simple”, and 62% said they support the new system.

There are currently three bills in Congress – two in the House and one in the Senate – that would enact ranked-choice voting nationally. The Senate bill, called the Freedom to Vote Act, was introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in September 2021, but at this moment does not have the votes necessary to advance.

2. House Modernization Committee Explores “Big Ideas” to Reform Congress 

On July 28th, Danielle Allen, co-chair of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, and Lee Drutman, New America, testified before the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (Modernization Committee) about investing in civic infrastructure and enlarging the House of Representatives. The hearing, titled “What’s the Big Idea? Innovative Approaches to Fixing Congress,” explored innovative and thought-provoking proposals to strengthen representational government and the policymaking process.